Brooder



- Feb. 19, 1929. 1,702,665

C. I. NELSON BROODER Filed April 18 L927.

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M ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFlCE. I

CHARLES I. NELSON, or MARYSVILLE, WASH'TNGTON, assienon or ONE-HALF'TO JAMES G. GROVES.

IBBOODEB.

Application filed April 18, 1927. Serial No. 184,680.

This invention relates to improvements in brooders, and more particularly to brooders for baby chicks; the principal object of the invention being to provide an improved form of heating system for brooders which permits an accurate temperature control within the brooder and provides for the raising and lowering of the heating'element so as to bring it closer to or farther from the chicks as is required for their comfort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brooder heating system embodying an upper and a lower series of pipe coils through which water or steam, as the heating medium, may be circulated and to connect these coils with a centrally located heater, or boiler, and to provide valves in the coils whereby the circulation of the heating medium may be controlled in such manner as to vary the heat as needed and to direct it to the upper or lower part of the brooder as desired.

Another object of the invention is to con nect the heating coils with the boiler by flexible pipe so as to permit theboiler to be raised or lowered to bring it nearer to or farther from the chicks.

Other objects of the invention reside in the various details of construction and combina tion of parts as is hereinafter described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brooder embodied by the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the heating system, with the side and top walls and floor removed.

Figure 3 isa cross sect-ion of the brooder.

Referring more in detailto the drawings In the present device the heating coils constitute the frame structure from which the top and side walls of the brooder are supported. The coils are arranged in upper and lower units; the upper unit comprising a continuous pipe that forms a flat, horizontally disposed coil made up of the outer end parts 1 and 2 which form the opposite ends of the top frame, the parts 3 and 4 which form the opposite sides of the frame, and the parts 5,

steam generated and this is connected at the top, by means of a flexible tube, 01' pipe,1l, with the end of the pipe 8 so that hot water or steam from the boiler may pass into the coil. There is also a supplemental heating coil lying in the same plane of the upper coil just described, and this comprises parallel pipes 12 and 13 extending closely along opposite sides of the boiler and parallel with the side pipes of the main coiljthe pipes 12 and 13 having ends connected by a cross pipe 14 and their other ends connected, respectively, with the pipes 5 and 6, and being provided near their connection with these pipes with cut-out valves 16 and 17 which are openedv a may be closed when it is desired to cause the heating medium to pass also through the supplementary coil. v

The lower heating unit comprises a hori zontal coil of substantially the same din1ensions as the upper coil and comprises opposite end'pipes 20 and 21, opposite side pipes 22 and 23, and a pipe 24 which extends parallel within the pipe 23, from the end of the pipe 20 to adjacent the boilerand is then connected to the base of the boiler by means of a flexible pipe, or tube, 25. The inlet end ofthe pipe 23 is connected by a vertical pipe 26 with the end of the pipe 1 of the upper unit which terminates directlyabove it. A connection 28 is also provided between the pipes 23 and 2 1 to permit the circulation of the heating medium to pass directly from the pipe 23- to the boiler instead of circling the coil, and a cutout valve is provided in this connection and a similar valve 31 is provided in the pipe 23 just past the connection of the pipe 28; these valves may be opened and closed as required in order to cause the circulation of the medium to pass directly or circuitously to the boiler v With the two heating units so constructed and connected, water heated in the boiler 10 will flow from the top of the boiler through the pipes 11, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2, 3 and 1, thence downwardly through the pipe 26 and through pipes 23, 21, 22, 20, 24 and 25 to return to the boiler. If the valve 31 is closed and the valve 30 opened, the circulation will pass from the pipe 23 into the boiler direct without encircling the lower coil; also, if the valves 16 and 17 of the supplementary coil of the upper element are opened and the valve 18 is closed, the circulation will pass through th pipes 12, 13 and 14, thus giving additional heating capacity.

The boiler 10 is of cylindrical form and is suspended by a bar that extends vertically and centrally from the upper end of the boiler and is slidably contained within an.

opening 36 in an upwardly bowed supporting bar 37 which rests, at its ends, on two bars 38 and 39 disposed transversely on top of the coils of the upper heating element. The boiler may be adjusted vertically by means of this bar 35 and held at any adjusted position by engaging teeth 39, that are provided on the edge of the bar, with the edge of the notch 36; this adjustment being provided in order that the boiler may be moved closer to or farther from the floor of the brooder as is desired to bring the heat closer to or farther from the chicks; also, for the purpose of controlling the rate of circulation through the pipes.

The floor 40 of the brooder is formed, preferably, in sections, of wood and is laid just on top of the lower pipe coils and it is provided about its edges with inclined runways l1 which provide easy access of the chicks into and from the brooder. The top of the brooder may be of canvas or other material and should be so constructed or sufficiently elevated to permit the boiler to be raised and lowered, and suitable openings are provided in the top through whichv the rod, or bar, 35 and the supporting bar 37 extend. The side walls of the brooder are preferably formed of canvas strips 48that are secured to the edges of the top and depend therefrom, preferably, about one-half way to the floor, but may be extended farther if this is desired. Tubular ventilators 50 are also provided in the corners of the top, as shown in Figure l, and these may be adjusted vertically through supporting sleeves 51 to bring their lower ends closer to or farther from the floor to regulate the ventilation as desired.

For the purpose of filling the boiler 10 with water, I have provided a basin 55 that is supported at the upper end of a vertical pipe 56 which connects, at its lower end,with the base of the boiler; the basin being disposed substantially above the level of the boiler so that water poured therein will flow down the pipe 56 into the boiler. A drainage pipe 57 is also provided and this connects with the brooder and operating automatically to control the circuit so that an even heat may be maintained within the breeder.

Mounted on the floor 40 about the base of the heater 10 is a wire screen wall 70 for preventing the chicks bunching or pressing too closely together against one another or against. the tank and thus becoming overheated to their injury.

The screen, as shown, is circular in form but may be star shaped or have extending wings to break up the flock into smaller units.

t is understood that I do not limit myself to the specific construction set forth which may be varied within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a brooder of the character described, a floor, a boiler located centrally above the floor for containing a heating fluid, a pipe coil connected at its ends with the lower and upper ends of the boiler and comprising sections that are located, respectively, below the floor and at a spaced distance above it and means for supporting the boiler at different elevations with respect to the coil sections.

2. A brooder of the character described comprising a horizontal floor, a boiler for a fluid heating medium located centrally above the floor, a pipe coil connected at its ends by flexible connections to the lower and upper ends of the boiler and comprising an upper section that is spaced above the floor to form the frame structure of the brooder, and comprising a coil section that is located below the floor, side walls and a topcover for the brooder supported on the upper coil, means for controlling the circulation of the heating fluid through the coils and means for supporting the boiler at different elevations with respect to the coils.

Signed at Everett, Washington, this 16 day of March, 1927.

CHARLES .I. NELSON. 

